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C U R R I C U L U M C O N N E C T |
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Climate watch |
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CANADA
My first stop was northern Canada,
where I worked for three months as
a research assistant with the
Canadian Coast Guard. I collected
water samples from the Northwater
Polynya to study the amount of
carbon and other chemicals that
were layered in the water column.
The scientists there were worried.
There was not enough ice. Although
it technically made our work easier, it
was an extremely unusual trend. The
areas we were travelling should have
been nearly impossible to break
through, and we found open water!
In the Northwater Polynya, the
movements of the ice flows create a
space in the ice that stays open all
round the year, creating a very unique place for marine life to thrive. With
changes in the ice flows, the Polynya
has been expanding into new areas,
altering the chemical flow (particularly
of organic nutrients) through the
region.
On our way up the northern
coastline, we stopped at a number of
Inuit community settlements. We
had an Inuit representative onboard
for the entire trip, to ensure that we
do not disturb any wildlife or hunting
activities. Most of these communities
have extremely limited resources and
poor economies.
We invited the local leaders
onboard for dinner, and the school
children for tours in the ship. We told
them about the scientific research
that we were doing.
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